No. 16 Alabama Opens 2016-17 Men’s Golf Season at Carpet Capital Collegiate
9/8/2016 2:21:00 PM | Men's Golf
Crimson Tide set to compete at three-day, 54-hole event this weekend
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 16 Alabama men's golf team opens the 2016-17 season this weekend when it competes at the Carpet Capital Collegiate in Rocky Face, Ga. This year's tournament will be played at the par 72, 7,012-yard Farm Golf Club.
The tournament is slated for 54 holes in three days (Sept. 9-11) and boasts another strong field. In addition to the 16th-ranked Crimson Tide, the 2016 Carpet Capital features seven teams from the Bushnell Golfweek Preseason Coaches Poll who are ranked or receiving votes to be ranked.
Alabama will be led by sophomore Davis Riley, who is coming off a campaign in which he earned honorable mention All-America accolades, as well as second team all-conference honors. Riley had a strong summer leading up to his second season with the Tide, reaching the match play semifinals at the 2016 Western Amateur Championship followed by an appearance in the match play round of 32 at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship.
Junior transfer Lee Hodges will make his debut for the Crimson Tide this weekend, playing in the No. 2 slot. Hodges, who was an all-conference performer at UAB and named Conference USA's Freshman of the Year in 2015, transferred to Alabama following last season. Hodges, a native of Elkmont, Ala., boasts a career scoring average of 72.43, along with seven top-10 finishes and 13 rounds in the 60s. He will look to add his experience and leadership to help lead what will be a young Crimson Tide team in 2016-17.
Juniors Tyler Hitchner, who played in six events last year and nine in his career, and Steven Setterstrom, who has eight career tournaments played, each earned a starting spot in this weekend's lineup. Rounding out the Tide will be a pair of redshirt freshmen who will make their collegiate debuts in Alex Green and Josh Sedeno, who will compete as an individual during the event.
Alabama has won the Carpet Capital Collegiate three times (2006, 2007 and 2010), while former standout Justin Thomas won individual medalist honors in 2011. The Tide also holds course records for 18-hole (276 in 2006) and 54-hole (841 in 2006) scores.
Alabama is set to tee off Hole No. 1 at 8:15 a.m. CT (9:15 a.m. ET) and will be paired with No. 6 Florida and No. 17 South Carolina.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaMGolf, on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
2016 Carpet Capital Collegiate Classic
Tournament Field: No. 6 Florida, No. 7 LSU, No. 13 Clemson, No. 16 Alabama, No. 17 South Carolina, No. 21 Virginia, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Memphis, Kennesaw State, North Florida, Chattanooga and Dalton State
Where: The Farm, Rocky Face, Ga. | Par 72 | 7,012 yards
When: September 9-11
Format: 54 holes over three days (Fri.-Sun.)
Best Alabama Finish: 1st, Three Times (2006, 2007, 2010)
Players Mentioned
